Kerala government job creation: ₹1,520.69 crore investment yields 5,839 jobs in 8 years, shows RTI

Also Read | Credit Card Fraud: American Express blames third-party vendor for data breach, says report

It added that despite a reported investment of ₹1,520.69 crore by the state government, the outcome yielded less than 6,000 new jobs in Kerala during the specified period. The RTI findings disclosed that 119 enterprises in Kerala benefited from the financial support provided by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), the state-level agency promoting investments and enterprises.

Concerns Raised by Activist

The data was revealed in response to an RTI query filed by Kerala-based activist K Govindan Nampoothiry on February 15.

Also Read | OpenAI responds to Elon Musk’s lawsuit: ‘Elon wanted us to merge with Tesla or…’

Nampoothiry highlighted the stark contrast, stating that the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Kerala, claimed the creation of over 5 lakh jobs in the last 22 months through their ‘Year of Enterprises’ scheme. They reported the initiation of 2,36,384 enterprises during this period with an investment of ₹14,922 crore.

Nampoothiry expressed concern over the significant gap between the Kerala government’s investment and job creation, suggesting a short-sighted approach by the current regime, as per the report. He also stressed on the need for urgent intervention to enhance the benefits of state schemes, calling for a comprehensive review and modification of strategies aimed at boosting investments and entrepreneurship in the state, it added.

Also Read | India’s healthcare innovation market may hit $60 bn by FY28: Report

The activist argued that the substantial difference in job generation and investment figures raises serious doubts about the effectiveness and productivity of the government’s assistance schemes and urged for an evaluation to ensure the state lives up to its claims of making Kerala an attractive destination for investments.

Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it’s all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Published: 06 Mar 2024, 10:39 AM IST